Redtravel

It depends upon your preferences. We were just on Vista. We were on deck 7 near aft elevators. 7095 category B3 We love it. My spouse has mobility issues. Being close to the aft elevators was convenient to reach most of the dining venues. Vista deck plan is very similar to Marina or Riviera. We have sailed on Marina/Riviera on decks 7,8,9, and 10. All were quiet. My favorite on those ships is deck 7 aft B3 extended verandas. Vista made those cabins concierge class. Still worth booking if you like a big veranda. Cabins with extended verandas book quickly. My least favorite location is forward of the forward elevators. There are some extended veranda cabins way forward. Felt too much vibration.

never got any info about the end of cruise survey. Looked on tv, read Currents and all disembarkation literature, bags packed, and we disembark this morning. NOTHING! if they really cared, they should’ve let guests know where to find it. If they told guests the online address form at a special event, they really don’t care about people like me who just relax onboard.

Comparing similar 10 night cruises to Eastern Caribbean on Vista. Prices are both from the onboard loyalty rep. Last year, when we booked, there wasn’t any simply more. We booked onboard as cruise only. When they started selling Simply More, I checked to see what the cost would be to add it onto our reservation. I was told $600 pp. Since we seldom drink and weren’t interested in excursions, we kept our original booking. We are on Vista now. Yesterday, we inquired what it would cost next winter for same category cabin. For both of us, the increase was approx. $3000 more than what we paid for our present cruise. That would include Simply More. So if you compare exact cruise with simply more, the increase would be about $1800 more. Prices are up. Up too high for Vista. For some of the older ships, you may find better rates. During the cruise we have had discussions with many people who like Oceania, but don’t like Simply More. For older people who take meds and don’t drink, the added cost for Simply More is Simply Wrong. On this cruise many people used scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, rollator, and canes. These people are excluded from most excursions because they have mobility restrictions. Even on port days, there was always lots of people onboard. We only got off in 2 ports. Some people never got off.

It’s the last full day of my cruise. There is no mention of the survey. Do they still do it? Or do they really not care?

Sea day today. Looked for a chaise on the pool deck after breakfast at 9 am . None! Walked the deck searching and found junk on most chairs. Not many humans on those chairs. Attendant told me that people were putting stuff on chairs as early as 5:30 am. Luckily my veranda is shady.

Concierge and standard veranda cabins are exactly the same. I only book concierge when regular veranda cabins aren’t available. Location can be a factor in which type of cabin you select. I don’t get much value out of extra amenities. The concierge lounge is place to get more food. Room service is a better option. The sparkling wine is nice. The laundry service is good if you don’t mind the 3 day turn around. I usually use the free launderette. Wash and dry everything in less than 2 hours. The spa pool is in the bow. Too windy when ship is sailing. The tote bag was missing on the most recent cruises when we were in concierge. There is some value in priority booking specialty restaurants. Concierge reservations opens 60 days before cruise. Standard veranda opens 45 days. Concierge gets a better selection of times. In either class, we have gotten suitable reservations. On some cruises we have requested additional reservations and gotten them.

Incentive changed during the cruise. Depending on length of cruise there is a discount off published price. It’s same as last year. The OBC was $250 per booking. Last night that was changed to $100 per booking. Spoke to loyalty hostess. Cruises are only sold with Simply More. You get a shore excursion amount. It can only be used for excursions. Don’t use it, you lose it. That makes it unattractive in places that I don’t do excursions. If Oceania offered cruise only, we would book another Caribbean cruise for next winter.

All of the ships are beautiful. They are well maintained. Things work. They are spotlessly clean. I can’t say that about some of the other cruise lines that I have sailed on. You will have a great time on any of the Oceania ships. The R ships(Insignia, Sirena, Nautical, and Regatta) are old. They were originally built for Renaissance Cruise line. Oceania refurbished these ships. They are smaller than Oceania other ships. They can get into ports that size restrictions. They have a cozy atmosphere. Cabins can be rather small. Suites are my preference on those ships. Riviera, Marina, and Vista are truly spectacular. They were built for Oceania. The furnishings are luxurious. Cabin size is big even in the standard categories. My choice is a veranda cabin. So how do I select which ship to book. It usually depends on itinerary, ease of transportation, time, and cabin availability. Add to that Simply More. Where and what type of excursions are available. If sailing on a cruise that have excursions that interest me, booking Oceania is attractive.

Not a contest. Enjoy whichever one is on the ship that you are sailing on. I have had the pleasure of enjoying both restaurants. The food is carefully prepared and presented. They both provide an experience that is unlike the usual cruise cuisine. Oceania prides itself on having “the best food at sea”. The food is good in all venues. Given the variety of dining venues, you can explore new cuisines or select items that are longtime favorites. We had a great time dining on Vista.

When I read this thread, I contacted my TA. She said that Oceania cannot be booked without Simply More. Thought maybe I had missed a change in things. We are on Vista now. Nice cruise. However, since we seldom drink and don’t do excursions in the Caribbean, we choose not to rebook as we have previously. Add to that the price increases for same 10 night cruise in 2025 (50% more than this year), we are not rebooking. Also, the onboard incentive isn’t as good as last time we booked onboard. We are booked on a European cruise for spring 2024 with SM. On that cruise we wanted excursions. Next winter we will not be on Oceania.

It would be nice if O would sell cruise only again. Often we will rebook while we are onboard. We are now on Vista. It is a 10 day Caribbean cruise. We don’t take excursions. With disability, we often don’t get off in some ports. With Simply More, the only option,we are not even considered rebooking. We seldom drink. We are looking for something else for winter 2025. If it is true that you can buy cruise only,I would rebook.

Pool deck can be a great place to relax. It can also be very nasty. A gentleman asked the pool attendant to move a chaise out of the sun. He moved it to the end of a row of chaises under cover. It didn’t block the open passageway. A bit later, the man who had the chaise that had been the end of the row returned to his chaise. He saw the gentleman sitting on the chaise that had become the end of the row. The man yelled out loud enough that everyone could hear, “I picked the chaise that was at the end of the row so that I wouldn’t have anyone next to me.” They sat there quietly just looking at each other. It was tense. Eventually they started talking and things cooled down. I have never seen such behavior on Oceania before this cruise.

Reception said that the only thing that can be moved is property of Oceania. Library books, brochures, cups, cans, menus, straws, etc. You cannot touch a guest’s property. Today We wanted 2 adjacent lounges. Found single lounges here and there. Then I spotted a 2 lounges with empty lounges on either side. None were occupied by actual people. Only thing on the chaise was an O library book. Moved it. That was at 10 am. At 1:30 a person appeared and asked why we had her chair. After all she put a book on it. Book was still on the empty chair. She put more stuff on that chair and left to go to a lecture. We left at 2 to get some lunch. We took our used towels off the chaises. Years ago, I sailed on the Atlantic. You had an assigned teak chaise. Your name was on the chair. Maybe we should resumed assigned chairs.

When I read the thread title I questioned it. Having sailed many times on O, never had chair hogs. That was until today. On Vista. It’s a port day. Usually on a port day, there’s no problem finding seating by the pool. After lunch, we thought that we would sit there. Nothing. Not that many people out there. Everything was littered with stuff. Asked at reception and was told that they don’t remove personal belongings. Frustrated .

Having different food options is good.

Useless. If you fill with ice water, they sweat. They melt quickly. I don’t use them. I leave them behind. I bring my own insulated container.

On Vista now. Still getting Bvlgari toiletries. Small bottles of shampoo/shower gel, conditioner, body lotion, soaps, vanity kit, and shower cap. Sewing kit is now on request.

No. Didn’t book a tour. We booked cruise only before SM. If I hear anything about canceled excursions, I will post.

Maybe we’ll get an answer. On Vista, we skipped St. Barts today. It was a tender port. Captain said that the high winds made tendering dangerous. In stead we have a sea day.

Got to try Aquamar. I had the chicken pita. Spouse had a salad bowl. It has table service. For those who like being served, it’s an option.

There are 2 types of OBC. OBC from WS promo cannot be used for tips. It often surprises guests. It can be used for drinks, excursions, WiFi, store purchases. OBC from a TA might be used for tips. If it is a gift, it’s refundable. You can use it for anything. You can also get it back in cash or credit card. How do know? look at your onboard account.

Once you are onboard, there are more time slots open.

When I read the thread title I questioned it. Having sailed many times on O, never had chair hogs. That was until today. On Vista. It’s a port day. Usually on a port day, there’s no problem finding seating by the pool. After lunch, we thought that we would sit there. Nothing. Not that many people out there. Everything was littered with stuff. Asked at reception and was told that they don’t remove personal belongings. Frustrated .

We had dongs. They asked for dollars. In many places having dollars is preferable.

Us dollars